Packer for deep wells.



PATENTEDDEC. 15, 1903. C. M. 6r, C. C. HEETER. PACKER FUR DEEP WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 190s.

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PATBNTED'DEG. 15, 190s.

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PACKER EUR DEEP WELLS.

APPLIOMION FILED MAY 11. 1903.

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horizontal section.v Fig. 7 is a detail view` UNITED STATES PatentedDecember 15, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES M. HEETER AND COLONEL C. HEETER, OE BUTLER, PENNSYL- vANIA; SAIDCOLONEL C. HEETER AssIC-NOR To sAID CHARLES M.

HEETER.'

"PACKl-:R FOR DEEPfwELLs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 747,321, dated December15, 1903. Application iiled May 11, 1903. Serial No. 156,613. (Nomodel.) v l To all whom zit-may concern.-

Be it knownthat we, CHARLES M. HEETER and COLONEL C. HEETER, `oflButler, Butler county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new, and usefulPacker for Deep Wells, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this speci- Iication, in which- Io Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of our improved packer in position in the well,showing the parts before expanding the rubber. Fig. 2 is a view similarto Fig. 1, showing the packer expanded in place.

I5 tom plan view of the expansible metallic ring we employ in contractedposition. is a vertical section of the same when expanded. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the ring when expanded with the holding-band brokenFig. 6 is abottom plan view, partly in showinga joint of the expansiblering. Fig.

8 is a side elevation of the form of Fig. l,

showing the upper portions of the casing; and

Figs. 9 and lO'ar'e views similar to Fig. 1,'

showing modified forms.

Our invention relates to that class of packers wherein a flexible gasketof rubber or similar material is expanded against the cas- 3o ing orwall of the well by the weight of the casing bearing 'upon thev upperend of the rubber; and the object of the invention is to @protect one orboth ends of the gasket and to prevent leakage of gas around the upperportion of the rubber collar and outside. and

around the ring or abutment which bears on it, also to enablearelatively smaller packer to be used.

Heretofore in this class of packers a rigid 4o non-expansible collar orvabutment has been used on the casing which rested on the top of therubber gasket and caused it to bulge out under the weight of thesuperimposed tubing or casing; but in such cases the rubber whenexpanded projected beyond the external diameter of the abutment, andhence as the outer part of the rubber was not backed up by metal the gaswas liable to be forced past the rubber and around the abutment. More-5o over, the rubber would be squeezed around Fig. 3 is a bot Fig. at

the abutment an-d become injured and gradually deteriorated. Ourinvention overcomes these difficulties; and it consists in providing anexpansible metallic ring which bears upon the end vof the rubber gasketand which is expanded when the rubber is swelled out. The rubber is thusbacked-up at all times and leakage is prevented.

It also consists in providing means for expanding the metallic ring whenthe rubber is expanded.

In the drawings, referring to the form of Figs. l to 7, inclusive, 2represents a lower section of the casing or tubing of the well, which isconnected by a double screw-plug 3 65 with a collar 4, having its lowerendl of conical shape on the exterior, as shown at 5. The packer-shell 6is screwed into the interior of the collar A,and the rubber gasket 7surrounds the shell and rests at its lower end on a ring 7o 8, which isscrewed to the lower section 9 of the casing or tubing. The shell 6 isarranged to slide through the collar 8 and carries a ring l0, whichguides it within the easing 9. At the upper end of the rubber gasketsand around the shell 6 of the packer is placed our expan'sible ring 1l,which when contracted is approximately of the size of the rubber gasket.The inner face of ring 1l isy preferably beveled or inclined to alloweasy. entrance of the cone.

We have shown the packer as an anchorpacker-that is, one where the asingor tubing extends to and rests onfthe bottom of the hole to give theresistance for swelling the rubber at the slip-joint; but the inventionmay be applied to either-an anchorpacker or to a wall-packer where thecasing extends down to the packer only and where the resistance isformed against the wall of the well near the packing-point. In this formwhen the packer is placed at the proper point in thestring of the casingand the casing is lowered to the bottom of the Awell the weight of thesuperimposedcasingfwillxforce the 95 packer-shell down through therubber, the conical end of the collar 4: being forced into la'nd throughthe metallic ring 1l to expand it and then passing within the rubbergasbears on the metallic ring 11 and by the Weight of the casing willswell out the rubber and effectually pack the well.

Different forms of the expansible metallic rin-g may be used, though weprefer the form shown in detail in Figs. 3 to 7. In this form the ringconsists of a plurality of arc-shaped segments 12, each having anoutwardly-projecting arc-shaped iiange 13 at the top and a similarflange 14 at the bottom. The ends of these anged portions are preferablybeveled or curved at the bottom, as shown at 15 in Fig. 3, in order toprevent cutting of the rubber on which they rest. The edges of thesesections are in contact when the ring is in contracted position, and theparts are held in place by a spring-ring 16, which consists of a splitband of steel fitting between the top and bottom flanges and around theouter curved faces or sections. In order to cover the joints between thesections and prevent dirt from getting into the recesses, we preferablyextend the flanges 13 and 14 at one end of each section, theseextensions 13' and 14 fitting in corresponding recesses in the nextsection. As the sections are expanded these flanges will still cover thejoints and prevent their becoming clogged with sediment, and in order tomake all the sections expand evenly and equally we preferably formdepending pins 17, which project down from the top overhanging portions13 and move within the groove or cut-away part of the next section. Bythe use of these pins the pressure upon any section will be distributedbetween all the sections, so that as the cone is forced into the ringits different portions will move out evenly and give an even expansionof the parts. When the device is to be unpacked, the casing is drawn up,the cone is pulled out of the expansible ring, the split ring; in therubbers contracts, and the device may then be pulled out.

In Fig. 8 we show the packer of Fig. 1, together with a portion of thecasing above the packer. In a portion of the casing above the packer wepreferably insert an outer collar 18, which is screwed to the top of onesection and receives within it alead gasket 19. The upper end of thecollar hangs on an angular shoulder of the next upper section, and whenthe weight of the casing is brought on the parts the section 20 will beforced down against the lead gasket, thus compressing and sealing it. Wehave also shown the section 2O as cut in two pieces and provided with astrainer 21 between them, a collar 22 securing the parts in place withthe strainer between. j

In Fig. 9 we show another form of the invention, whereinthe ring andcone are at the lower end of the expansible gasket. In this form theabutment or plug 3a rests upon the upper end of the gasket 7 a, and thecone 4ft is secured to the lower end of the shell 6'. The expansiblemetal ring 11a is at the lower end of the gasket and rests upon a collar23,

which is screwed to the next section 24. In this form the ring 10 restsagainst the lower end of the ring 23 and is screwed to the sleeve 25,which in turn is screwed to the interior of the cone 4a. In this casewhen the resistance is formed and the packer lowered the cone willexpand the ring 11, while the weight of the casing on the abutment 3ilforces out the rubber.

In Fig. 10 we show a double form, wherein an upper cone 4b and a lowercone 4c are used, the upper one being similar to that of Fig. 1 andsecured to the ring 3b. The upper expansible ring 1lb rests against theupper end of the gasket 7b, while the lower expansible ring 11c restsupon a ring 23, secured to the lower section 24a of the casing. Thelower cone 4 may slide upon the inner shell 6b of the packer or may besecured thereto. In this form when the casing is lowered the twoconeswill force out the two expansible rings, while the upper ring 3b willpress down upon the upper expansible ring and force out the rubber, thelower end of the rubber resting upon the ring 26, which is formed as apart of the lower cone 4c. This ring 26 will rest on the lowerexpansible ring after the lower cone has entered and expanded it.

The advantages of our invention result from the use of the expansiblemetal ring resting against the end of the gasket. This ring preventsinjury to the gasket, stops any liability to leakage, and also enables apacker having a normally smaller diameter to be used than couldotherwise be employed. In ordinary packers their size must be nearlythat of the hole in order to pack eiiciently when lowered to the properposition, and on account of irregularities in the shape and size of thehole in its different parts such packers are very liable to stick whilelowering. By using the expansible ring a smaller packer in proportion tothe size of the hole may be used than could otherwise be employed, thusgreatly lessenin g the liability to sticking during lowering.

Many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the packer,the expansible ring, the mechanism for forming resistance, &c., withoutdeparting from our invention.

We claim- 1. A packer for deep wells having a ilexible annular gasket,an expansible metal ring resting against the end of the gasket, andmechanism for expanding the gasket and ring; substantially as described.

2. A packer for deep wells having an annular gasket of rubber or similarmaterial, a metallic expansible ring resting against one end thereof,and a cone and abutment arranged to expand the gasket and ring;substantially as described.

3. A packer for deep wells having an expansible gasket and an expansiblemetal ring resting against one end thereof, said ring be- IIO ingcomposed of a plurality of sections, and a. resilient ring arranged tonormally hold them iu contracted position; substantially as described.

and resting on the top ofthe gasket, and an abutment and cone secured tothe shell eX- tension and arrangedto expand the gasket t 5 and metalring; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

CHARLES M. HEETER.- COLONEL C. HEETER.

Witnesses:

' L. P. WALKER,

M. A. BERKMIER.

